Saw-table gage



A. G. KROCKER. SAW TABLE GAGE. APPLICATION FILED AUG21 19H20.

1,375,159. Patented APLI'. 19,1921.

, Us SHEET l.

A. G. KRouKER.

SAW TABLE GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I, 1920.

1,375,159. Patented-Apr. 19,1921.

3 lSHEETS-sumar 2.

S T 'E E S ADOLFG. KROCKER, OF WAGO, TEXAS.

SAW-TABLE GAGE.

specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. August 21, 1920. Serial No. 405,079. 1

To all 'wiz-0m z5 may concern:

Be it known that l, ADOLF Gr. KROCKER, a citizen oi'` the United States, residing in Vaco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Saw-Table Gages, of which-the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sawing machines used for cutting wood of various kinds and shapes to desired lengths and widths. It is a common practice to set a cutting stop or gage by hand and to measure by hand the required distance of the stop from the saw. rlhis is a slow operation and not always accurate. It has heretofore been proposed to employ devices by means of which a stop or gage may be mechanically set and the distance from the saw to the stop atthe same timev indicated, but the proposed devices are complicated and so far as I am aware, have notl been extensively used.

According to my inventiony l provide means whereby a stop for the work may be very quickly set the required distance from the saw, such distance being automatically indicated tothe operator as he stands near the saw. The operating devices for the gage or stop are within easy reach of theA attendant, while the stop may be located any desired distance from him. The devices which l employ may be readily applied tov saw-tables of various kinds, whether theyare designed to support the work while the latter is moved toward and from a saw mounted to turn about a iixed axis, or to support the work within reach of a saw mounted in a v swinging or oscillating frame.

in carrying out my invention l provide anxendless chain or band, to wliichyare secured a number of indicators ory pointers, and l mount this pointer-carrying chain in a housing, supported on the saw-table. The sprocket wheels about which the chain extends areprovided with devices for regulating the tension of the chain and novel de-- vThe pointers are numbered to indicate feet and their relation with the stop is such that when a pointer bearing a certain number is opposite zero on the scale the distance of the stop from the saw will be known. The scale is mounted in the housing near the chain-operating' device. It is preferably l2 Patented Apr. 19, 1921."

inches long and the distance from the Zero mark to the saw is preferably ,6 inches, in 1 order to leave room between the saw and the zero mark for the operating mechanism.v rlhe scale lis divided to indicate inches 'and fractions of an inch, so that by my improvements the distance from the saw to the stop may be indicated withthe greatest accuracy in feet, inches and fractionsl thereof.

My improvements will be hereinafter more fully described. They are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure l shows a front elevation of a sawtable with my improvements applied thereto, p

Fig. 2` is a plan view of thesame,

Fig. Spfshows a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,` A

Fig. il. shows a section on the line 4?-4 of Fig. 2, l

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the clutch members ot the chain-operating mechanism, Y

Fig. 6 is a sectionalvview of the chainoperating mechanism, on the line 6 6 of Fig. 7, i

Fig/Z is a sectional view ,oithe chainoperating mechanismlooking in a diii'erent direction, on the line 7-#7 of Fig. 6,'

Fig. 8 isa perspective View of the stop or ease Fig. 9 is a plan view of a modiied construction.

ln Figs. l and Qthe mechanism is adapted to coperate with asaw, which is moved toward and from the work. ln Fig. 9 the arrangementis suchr that the work may be ino-ved .toward 'and from the saw.

Fig. 1() is a diagram and illustrates how the positionot the stop fromthe saw may be accurately measured` andA indicated. This diagram illustrates the operation of themechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. l1 is ad-iagram similar to Fig-.'10, but

showing the koperation of the 'mechanism--- shown in Fig. 9.

Referring. to the. first yeightiigures vof the drawings, a saw-table is indicatedfat A and a saw at B.y The saw operates/in a slot in the table as usual and in this case the saw is mounted on a swinging frame so as to move toward and from the work. On the table A is a housing C, preferably made of sheet metal, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and within the housing is an endless chain or band D, extending around sprocket wheels E and F at opposite ends of the housing. The sprocket wheel E is provided with devices G, by means of which the tension of the chain may be regulated. The housing C, vas before stated, is preferably made of sheet metal and comprises an upper member c and a lower member c, bolted together as indicated at c2. Adjacent the sprocket wheel F the housing is cut away, as indicated at a, Fig. 4, to receive a scale H, secured to the upper member of the housing as indicated at in Fig. 6. The housing shown in Figs. l to 4 is slightly different from that shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In the latter case the housing is made of sheet Vmetal, while in Figs. l to 4 it is shown as Y chain also carries a series of indicators or pointers L, arranged at regular distances from. the stop, the first pointer marked l v being `preferably arranged at exactly 6 inches from the stop and the pointers are arranged l2 inches from each other. rlhe zero mark on the scale H is preferably located 6 inches from the saw slot b and the numbers on the scale read from right to left. rThe precise arrangement shown is not essential, but ispreferred. llfn the system illustrated, when pointer No. l is opposite the zero mark on the scale .it will beknovvn that the stopis exactly 6 inches from the Zero mark, which added to the 6 inches from'the zero mark to the saw slot Z) will indicate that the stop is exactly one foot from the saw. lThe same indicated on the scale.

rule applies when the other indicatorsor pointers are brought tothe zerov mark, it being remembered that the pointers in the arrangements shown are one footV or l2 inches apart and that the firstpointer is 6 inches from the stop and that 6 inches must 'always be added to cover the'distance from the zeroV mark to the saw slotr, the rst pointer being 6 inches from the stop, and

placed the exact distance required from the slot and this distance 'will be conveniently saw'slot in the table,l but the stop will be 6 F oriinsta'nce, when inches farther off. The indicator displays number 1 indicating that the stop is just one foot from the saw slot. Y The same rule applies for other measurements. This system is clearlyl indicated in Fig. l() where the stop is shown as being located 7 feet from the saw slot although the pointer marked 7 is located 6 inches from this slot.

ln order to operate the chain and set the pointers mechanically I preferably employ the devices shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, where as appears, the sprocket wheel F is attached to a cup-shaped clutch-member M, in turn secured to aV post li, extending through a' bearing n in the top of the casing and secured to a. handle 0, by means of which the post 4and the wheel may be rotated. rlhe rotation by a frustum-shaped clutch-member P, having a leather facing p, which engages the interior of the member M. The

member F is normally forced against the member M by a coiled spring Q, which surrounds the post N. The member P is raised by means of a lever R, fulcrumed at r on the housing and having a bifurcated end, the arms r ofV which engage the u wardly extending arms p of the member By depressing the outer end of the lever R the member l? may be disengaged from the member M and the sprocket wheel maybe turned by means of the hand-lever O. ln

this Way the position of thestop maybe changed at will. In order to hold'the member F against rotation l form openings s in the overlying portion p2 of the member P, into which project arms sf, formed by cutting out and turning down portions of the upper housing.

By these `devices the stop-carrying chain is'frmly locked in ladjusted positionsand desired. The chain'and the operating mech-v anism are protected by the housing shown erate over the scale rl, which is also inclined, 1

being therefore plainly visible tothe attend- Vmay be quickly unlocked and operated Awhen ant. As shown in Fig. fthe stop l is supported over the table, close to the/front of the housing, Vhaving a portion l; which ex- Y tends through a slot Z in the housing and rides on the. lower edge of this slot. In Fig. 9 FhaveY shown how my invention'may be applied to a saw-cutting table in" which the saw Yis mounted to move about a Vfixed axis and where the work is moved'toward the saw. y rlhe construction is practically the same as before describ ed. V Y In this case, however,'the stop K operates on the rear side v'of the housing Vand the .indicators L' are suit ably numbered.` The scal'eH in this case has the numbersreversed, reading from left "iso to right. The distance from the end of the scale to the slot Z9 remains at 6 inches, otherwise the mechanism is substantially the same as that before described.

When adjusting the stop after a previous adjustment, it is first necessary to unlock the clutch-member which, as before stated, holds the stop andpoint'ers in adjusted position. ln order to separate the clutch-members the outer end of the lever R is depressed. This withdraws the clutch-member P from the clutch-member M and when this is done the handle O may be operated to move the chains to the desired extent, bringing the pointers and stops to the desired positions. After adjustment is properly made, the lever R is released, the clutchmember is engaged and thereafter the stops and pointers remain in fixed position.

Y Referring to F ig. 10 I have shown diagrammatically how the mechanism is operated to set the stop for dierent distances. This is made clear by the drawing itself and need not be further described.

Fig. 1l is a diagram illustrating how the mechanism shown in Fig. 9 may be set to operate the stop at varying distances. Further explanation of this diagram is unnecessary.

These diagrams, however, show that the stop may be set to cut material to the exact length or width desired. The mechanism may be readily applied to saw-tables of various constructions, either where the saw is mounted to swing toward and from the work or where the work is moved toward the saw. The operator may stand in one place to perform all the operations, being able to cut miscellaneous lengths without changing his position and these lengths may be accurately determined in feet, inches or fractions thereof. In this way a great saving of lumber or material is effected. The mechanism is suitable for use on rough crating material, where speed is of prime importance and also in connection with the inest cabinet work, requiring the greatest degree of accuracy. n Y

l claim as my invention:

l. Gage mechanism for saw-tables comprising an endless band, a stop carried thereby, a series of pointers carried by the band,

a scale coperating with the pointers and stop and means for operating the band.

2. Gage mechanism for saw-tables comprising an endless band, a stop carried thereby, a series of pointers carried by the band arranged regular distances from each other and from the stop, a scale coperating with the pointers and means for operating the band.

3. Gage mechanism for saw-tables comprising a housing, an endless band within the housing, a stop carried thereby, a series of inwardly inclined pointers carried by the band, an inclined scale coperating with the pointers and the stop and means for operating the band.

4. Gage mechanism for saw-tables comprising a housing having a longitudinal slot vin its front face, an endless band within the housing, a stop carried by the band and having a portion extending through the slot in the housing and a portion outside the housing, a series of pointers carried by the band, a scale, coperating with the pointers and the stop and means for operating the band.

5. Gage mechanism 'for saw-tables comprising an endless band, a stop carried thereby, a series of pointers carried by the band, a scale coperating with the pointers and the stop and means for operating the band comprising a handle operatively connected with the band, a clutch-member connected with the handle, a clutchemember connected with the band and a lever for shifting the last-mentioned clutch-member. Y

6. Gage mechanism for saw-tables comprising an endless chain, sprocket wheels which the chain engages, a stop carried by the chain, a series of pointers carried by the chain, a scale coperating with the pointers and stop and meansv for operating the chain comprising a clutch-member connected with one of the sprocket wheels, a handle connected with said clutch-member for turning the sprocket wheel and the chain, a clutchmember engaging the clutch-member first mentioned, a spring for holding said clutchmembers in engagement anda lever for disengagingthe clutch-members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ADOLF G.y KROCKER. 

